Lennytheshark in action at Tabcorp Park Menangle
Highly respected trainer David Aiken acknowledges his horse Lennytheshark is facing somewhat of an impossible task on Sunday afternoon when he competes against Beautide in the Gr. 1 Len Smith Mile at Tabcorp Park Menangle. Lennytheshark was impressive on Saturday night at Melton when winning at his first run back since finishing sixth in the Inter Dominion behind Beautide but Aiken admitted this week it is a different ‘kettle of fish’.
“It is going to be hard to topple Beautide on what he did at Menangle last start but I’m really happy with Lennytheshark and he’s ready to go,” Aiken said.
“Chris (Alford) was happy on Saturday night, Lenny never travels on the bit but Chris didn’t have to pull the pull downs in the run to the line so we couldn’t have asked much more of the horse, he got the job done.”
Lennytheshark had a week’s break after his Inter Dominion performance and when he returned to Aiken’s stable he developed a cough.
“It had been pretty dry and dusty at my place and Lenny had a cough for about a week which put us behind a little bit, ideally he would have had two trials and one run before the Len Smith Mile and as a result he missed out on one of the two trials but he is where I want him now anyway.”
“It was just a sprint home on Saturday night and he is a very athletic individual so he will take some from benefit from it for sure.”
Lennytheshark has been victorious at the highest level at Menangle in the past. The son of Four Starzzz Shark won the New South Wales Derby in 2013 when trained by John Justice. Aiken is unsure of what direction he will take with Lennytheshark after Sunday.
“I need to sit down with the owner and discuss what we are going to do with him, he has only had five runs this season and while he has had some injuries in the past, he is really good at the moment.”
“The options on the table are obviously Queensland for the winter carnival or we get him ready for the Inter Dominion series in Western Australia but we need to get Sunday out of the way first.”
At Tabcorp Park Menangle ten horses have beaten Beautide home in a race and of Sunday’s opposition only Monifieth and Seel N Print have achieved the feat but Aiken is hoping Lennytheshark can join the small group.
“Beautide is a special horse but we are going to be doing our best this Sunday and hopefully that will be good enough.”
Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW) is the controlling body for harness racing in New South Wales with responsibility for commercial and regulatory management of the industry including 31 racing clubs across the State. HRNSW is headed by an industry-appointed Board of Directors and is independent of Government.
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